How to do the test – National Bowel Cancer Screening Program

(light music) Bowel cancer screening can save your life. When it’s detected early,
nine out of ten cases can be treated successfully. The chance of getting bowel cancer increases from the age of 50. That’s why Australians
aged between 50 and 74 will receive a free test kit
in the mail every two years. People who’ve done the test say it’s quick, clean and
easier than they expected. You’ll receive an envelope in the mail, that will include everything
you need to do the test, including your Participant Details form, two flushable toilet liners,
two labelled collection tubes, a Ziplock bag, a Reply- Paid envelope and easy-to-follow instructions. The test is looking for invisible traces of blood in your poo,
which could be a sign of cancer or a pre-cancerous growth. All you need to do is collect two tiny samples from two separate poos. Collect the two samples as
close together as possible, this can be on the same day, the next day, or as soon as you can. Take one collection tube and
write your name, date of birth, and the date you are taking
the sample on the white label. Place it within easy reach of the toilet. Do a wee and flush the toilet. Then take one of the
flushable toilet liners and lay it over the
water in the toilet bowl. This will catch your poo. Once you have done a poo, the next step is to open the collection tube
by twisting the green cap. Scrape the tip of the
stick, attached to the cap, over different areas of
the surface of the poo. You only need a tiny sample,
smaller than a grain of rice. Put the stick back into
the collection tube and click the lid shut. Shake the tube up and down several times. Make sure you don’t open it again. You can now flush the toilet as normal. The toilet liner is biodegradable. Place the tube into the Ziplock bag and store it somewhere cool. A fridge is ideal, but
do not freeze the sample. When you’re ready to
take your next sample, repeat the process using
the second collection tube. This can be on the same day, the next day, or as soon as you can. Once you’re done, seal the Ziplock bag with the two tubes in it and
put the bag in the fridge. Now you’re ready for the final step. Fill out your Participant Details form, then put it in the Reply
Paid envelope, along with the Ziplock bag containing
your two samples. Make sure you read the checklist on the back of the
envelope before sealing it. Write your name and address on the back of the envelope and sign the front. Now all you need to do
is mail the samples, within 24 hours if you can. Postage is free. The samples can be affected
by heat, so make sure you don’t leave them in a
hot car or direct sunlight. For this reason, it’s
best if you can drop them to your local post office
as soon as possible after they are removed from the fridge. If you do have to use an
Australia Post mail box, please post them in the
late afternoon, before 6 PM. Your samples will be sent to
the laboratory and your results will be mailed to you in around two weeks. If you receive a negative result, this means that no blood
was found in your samples. You won’t need to do anything else until your next test in two years’ time. However, if you develop symptoms in the meantime, talk to your doctor. If you receive a positive
test result, this means that traces of blood were
found in your samples. This could be due to
conditions other than cancer, and it’s important to make an appointment with your doctor to investigate. If you have questions
about how to do the test, call 1800 930 998.